[karenblodgett3261]

This may sound like an odd dilemma, but here goes lol... LoVey totally adores me and wants in on everything I do. Sooo, here's the issue... when I'm home
she's out of the cage. But getting things done or doing craft projects is impossible because she is all over what ever is in my hands. She also leaps onto me if I move to far from where she is. She's four months old today, so still a baby. Has anyone experienced this and found any solutions? I have things I need to do and things I'd like to do. If it's a matter of doing something "just because," LoVey is my priority. But if I can find a happy medium, it would be great!

Can a bugie be to clingy, or could this be a baby thing? The last thing I want to do is deny her the social and emotional attention she needs

 

[FaeryBee]

You must ensure that LoVey learns that certain times of the day are "in-cage time".
If you do not, she is going to be the one that is in charge of your household which is not a good situation for either you OR her.
All budgies should have "alone" time during the day where they learn to nap and/or entertain themselves.
It is up to you to create the correct environment for her.
You can try putting the cage near where you are doing your crafts if you wish but it may be best to start off by putting her in a different room with music playing to get her used to her "alone time" will you go about your business.

 

[karenblodgett3261]

She has her alone time while I'm at work. Could this have anything to do with her being a baby? She was, as I've mentioned before, only six weeks old when I got her. Might she be in need of a parent kind of attention and she'll be less focused on me as she gets older?

I do want to let her know I'm the one who has the final word. After all I'm the one who pays the rent lol. I'm just trying to find a happy medium where I respect her as a "person" while maintaining the hierarchy that's needed. But I also want to provide the socialization she needs. The other thing is, the fact she wants to be with me makes it easier to get her back to the cage when she's out before I go to work.

 

[FaeryBee]

How old is she now?
Even though she has alone time when you are at work, you are going to have to condition her to accept that she also has to have certain times in her cage when you are at home so that you can accomplish what needs to be done. She is going to be like a toddler and always pushing the limits so you are the one that must train her rather than allowing her to train you.

 

[srirachaseahawk]

As long as you are providing her some consistent, quality cage time; it sounds like she’s not so much clingy as she is just happy to be with you.

Being young likely plays into her wanting your attention, so you should definitely take advantage of that from a bonding perspective in my opinion
But @FaeryBee is right about the quality cage time. She should “want” to go back there for things like toys and food and naps, so she doesn’t have a negative association with the cage and so that she isn’t putting you on “her” schedule.

On average, how much out-of-cage time do you have with her on a typical work day?

 

[karenblodgett3261]

How old is she now?
Even though she has alone time when you are at work, you are going to have to condition her to accept that she also has to have certain times in her cage when you are at home so that you can accomplish what needs to be done. She is going to be like a toddler and always pushing the limits so you are the one that must train her rather than allowing her to train you.

Shes 4 months old now, and very much acting like a toddler. Oh, she is working very hard at training me! She has learned and accepted that she doesn't come out until I've been up for an hour or two. Being so active I have to be fully awake and ready to watch her carefully. There are a couple off limit places that she tries to get to. I have her step up on my finger and say no gently but firmly. She knows what the no places are because I see her look to see if I'm watching lol. She has a very strong willed personality and I'm making sure she knows that what I say goes. There will be times, such as if she needs meds that she has to do what I say.

I have been doing the cage time when I have things to do. If I can do something with her with me that's fine, but if she is getting to into what I'm doing she has to go to the cage until I'm done. I think she just loves being with me and I'm happy about that, but I won't be letting her run the show! I read a comment from you or one of your team members advising someone not to give in when they screech at you. I took that pearl of wisdom to heart!

As long as you are providing her some consistent, quality cage time; it sounds like she’s not so much clingy as she is just happy to be with you.

Being young likely plays into her wanting your attention, so you should definitely take advantage of that from a bonding perspective in my opinion
But @FaeryBee is right about the quality cage time. She should “want” to go back there for things like toys and food and naps, so she doesn’t have a negative association with the cage and so that she isn’t putting you on “her” schedule.

On average, how much out-of-cage time do you have with her on a typical work day?

On a work day 3-4 hours. On a day off more time of course. She has lots of toys in her cage that she enjoys playing with and I have different ones for out of cage time. She is so different from my Vern that in some ways I feel like a new budgie owner. It's good to hear the experience of those who have been through the same things. I have a feeling I may always have to give her cage time when I have things to do. She is a total sweetheart and I love her to pieces. But I need to be the one who calls the shots.

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I have another question/thought along these lines. I've only had a single budgie so haven't had the opportunity to watch bird to bird behavior. In the morning or when I come home from work she spends about ten minutes tasting (?) me with her tongue. I feel like it's her way of reconnecting after we've been apart. Or is it a way of identifying me, although I'm sure she knows who I am? Do budgies in a communal setting do this? Or am I assigning human attributes to her that aren't applicable?

I know I sound like an obsessive ninny when I talk about her, and I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking I have a screw loose in my brain. I fell in love with Vern and now LoVey. I want to be the very best bugie mama possible! Even if I'm feeling terribly ill, the one thing I do is take care of her needs (food, water, clean cage). All I know is that I love her with all my heart and she seems to love me. I'd do anything to give her the best life possible! But if I'm being a bit of an idiot about her care I welcome constructive criticism.

Thank you all for the great advice and insights!!!

 

[FaeryBee]

LoVey "tasting" you in the morning and when you come home from work is simply her way of reconnecting with you and letting you know she cares about you.
One of my lovebirds, which is extremely bonded to me, does the same thing with me on a daily basis.

 

[karenblodgett3261]

LoVey "tasting" you in the morning and when you come home from work is simply her way of reconnecting with you and letting you know she cares about you.
One of my lovebirds, which is extremely bonded to me, does the same thing with me on a daily basis.

Thank you! It felt like a reconnecting behavior. At least I was hoping 😊. How many and what types of birds do you have? I find it interesting how a certain bird will connect with a certain person. Did your love bird bond with you right away? Do you have an ongoing picture thread? Is it felt by avian experts that birds feel love something similar to how we humans define it?

And the joy they bring is amazing! When I visited with my dad, he always asked me if Vern was going to be coming with me lol.

LoVey having such a different personality than Vern has brought about a whole new set of questions and I really appreciate you taking the time to answer them 💙!

 

[karenblodgett3261]

It won't be long before LoVey is fully flighted. She is very inquisitive too. Have any of you found areas your bugjes got into that you might have overlooked? I've read tons of articles about budgie proofing, but would be grateful to hear experiences others have had. I have coats hanging on the doors to soften things if she has a little crash landing. I got a set of curtain panels I'll be covering the coats with so she doesn't have sleeves and pockets to hide in. I also found cord covers that seem great for a standard size cord. The narrow cords I've covered with plastic drinking straws. I found a smal greenhouse thing that I can zip closed when she's out so she can't get to my plants. I think I'll be using cardboard to prevent her from hiding under the bed but I'm not sure. I'm also going to be making her a ceiling play area.

I've thought of the obvious things that the articles suggest but, would love to hear the experience others have had.
Thank you!

 

[FaeryBee]

Birds and emotions

Do parrots have emotions

Three things you should know about how parrots feel

At the current time, I have 5 budgies and two lovebirds.
When I moved from VA to FL 4 years ago, I had 9 budgies and 3 lovebirds.
At this time, all of my birds would be considered to be "seniors".
My oldest budgie, Sparky, turned 10 in December. My youngest budgie is 8.

My budgies all came from one breeder (who, by the way, is no longer breeding budgies).
However, 4 of the nine were adopted from another Talk Budgies Member and 2 of the 9 were adopted from yet a different Talk Budgies member.

Two of my lovebirds (Pedro and Poppy) were rescues from a former Talk Budgies Member.
If lovebirds are paired, they become very bonded to one another. Pedro and Poppy were a prime example.

My other lovebird, Peachy, belonged to a neighbor of mine but I birdie-sat for him for 2 weeks within just a couple of weeks of her getting him.
I ended up buying him all new perches, toys, etc. while I had him with me. I birdie-sat for him again on a couple of other occaisions.
When she moved out of the country, I finally ended up with him as my very own. Peachy is fully bonded to me (which is normal with a single lovebird) and is quite spoiled.

Yes, I have ongoing picture threads although I don't post to them often.

FaeryBee Flock Ongoing Picture Thread

There are a couple other threads you may enjoy if you haven't seen them:
Lord of the Rings//Fellowship of the Ring
Skipooterky Adventure Links

Pedro and Peachy Ongoing Picture Thread
You can see Pedro and Poppy's Wedding Rehersal and Wedding Threads in the stickies in the Lovebird Lovers Section of the forum if you are interested.

My current shelties, Shadow and Rory, have their own thread in Other Pets
Ruaidri Faolan (Rory) and Shadow Mist Ongoing Picture Thread

 

[karenblodgett3261]

Oh thank you FaeryBee for all the links to the info and pictures! I just love lerning about budgies and seeing pics of other peoples birds. Until I owned them as a matured adult, I never realized what amazing companions they are. I did have a couple as a very young adult, back when birds were looked upon as ornaments that chirp rather than an interactive friend. The two budgies were in a way to small cage hung from the ceiling so the cats couldn't get to them. One of the cats managed to leap up and killed one of them 😢. That's why my room where LoVey is, is a 100% cat free zone!

I just want to say publicly how much I appreciate this group's adherence to best practices! Not to mention the myriad of articles and links to others. You all tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. I follow a lot of budgie group's in which those who point out things that don't follow those best practices are chastised. If I do something that's not in the best interest of LoVey, I want to know! She counts on me to take good care of her, and I'm obsessed with doing so!
Thank you, thank you!!!

 

[Ziggy1]

Oh thank you FaeryBee for all the links to the info and pictures! I just love lerning about budgies and seeing pics of other peoples birds. Until I owned them as a matured adult, I never realized what amazing companions they are. I did have a couple as a very young adult, back when birds were looked upon as ornaments that chirp rather than an interactive friend. The two budgies were in a way to small cage hung from the ceiling so the cats couldn't get to them. One of the cats managed to leap up and killed one of them 😢. That's why my room where LoVey is, is a 100% cat free zone!

I just want to say publicly how much I appreciate this group's adherence to best practices! Not to mention the myriad of articles and links to others. You all tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. I follow a lot of budgie group's in which those who point out things that don't follow those best practices are chastised. If I do something that's not in the best interest of LoVey, I want to know! She counts on me to take good care of her, and I'm obsessed with doing so!
Thank you, thank you!!!

I have a budgie who sounds just like yours and it’s an amazing feeling. Then I find a problem 😥 I feel I can’t leave him to go on holiday ……have you thought of this?

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I have a budgie who sounds just like yours and it’s an amazing feeling. Then I find a problem 😥 I feel I can’t leave him to go on holiday ……have you thought of this?

Absolutely! I even feel a bit guilty leaving the room for three or four minutes. The second I close the door to the room she starts to flock call me 🥰. My "flock call" back is "I hear you LoVey!" I'm not sure if it would be better for me to make chirping sounds back? FaeryBee, Cody, do you have any thoughts on that? I miss her when I'm at work and always look forward to seeing her when I get home! We had a couple snow storms that necessitated my staying at a coworkers place for two nights. I brought her with me. She even came to work with me. She stayed in the supervisor office and was the bell of the ball! And she did very well with her outing!

 

[Cody]

I am sure she knows your voice but if you want to chirp at her it could add to your vocabulary.

 

[Ziggy1]

Absolutely! I even feel a bit guilty leaving the room for three or four minutes. The second I close the door to the room she starts to flock call me 🥰. My "flock call" back is "I hear you LoVey!" I'm not sure if it would be better for me to make chirping sounds back? FaeryBee, Cody, do you have any thoughts on that? I miss her when I'm at work and always look forward to seeing her when I get home! We had a couple snow storms that necessitated my staying at a coworkers place for two nights. I brought her with me. She even came to work with me. She stayed in the supervisor office and was the bell of the ball! And she did very well with her outing!

I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep calling back all the time. If I am going out, I put Charlie in his cage and tell him bye bye see ya later. He definitely understands what I mean…..I always leave the radio on for him. Maybe give her a piece of Millet as you leave? They are more intelligent than people think……when it’s time for Charlie to go to bed, he starts to say Night Night sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite, put me to bed. Charlie is 3 now so the bond is strong .

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep calling back all the time. If I am going out, I put Charlie in his cage and tell him bye bye see ya later. He definitely understands what I mean…..I always leave the radio on for him. Maybe give her a piece of Millet as you leave? They are more intelligent than people think……when it’s time for Charlie to go to bed, he starts to say Night Night sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite, put me to bed. Charlie is 3 now so the bond is strong .

I always tell her good bye, love you and see you when I get home tonight. I only answer back if I'm slipping out of the room for a couple minutes. And I tell her where I'm going. Actually I tell her what I'm doing regarding everything, especially if it is something I'm doing in her cage, food, water, cleaning etc. I was feeling a little under the weather this past week and told her "mama doest feel well so we can only play together for a short time." She definitely knows her name and knows what spots she's not allowed to play in. She actually looks over at me to see if I'm paying attention lol. If she goes to an off limit spot I have her step up on my finger and gently yet firmly tell her no. So basically I converse with her in such a way that implies she understands every word I say. She also has her own radio that I leave on when I'm at work. Since she bonded with me so strongly from the moment she and I met, I feel it's important that she feels safe and loved.

 

[stormypica]

Picasso strangled herself on a small twine loop awhile ago. Thankfully, I was there to get her free, and remove all loops from toys. Another thing you have to do is move all dressers, closets away from the wall. If he falls behind them, he'll just walk out the bottom

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I have cardboard taped in such a way that it blocks the area. It's ugly, but effective lol. The thing about the loop made me think about the strings on my blinds. Thank you!

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I haven't been able to get on here do to a phone that died and information having to be retrieved, followed by having other commitments.

LoVey has been doing so well!!! As her molt has progressed she has been able to get some height as she flies. She can get from the floor to my shoulder. From the end of my bed she flew about three feet to the back of this chair.
View attachment 262492
From the chair she flew to the window
View attachment 262493
This morning I noticed another of her clipped flight feathers on the floor of her cage. I let her out as usual and she was zipping around the room. She was doing hairpin turns and was landing on what ever location she chose without a hitch.
View attachment 262494
This is about a foot from the ceiling!
I'm so surprised at how well she was able to manuver as she flew. It's as if she's been doing it for years. Here's a picture of how well her flight feathers are coming in 🪶 💙😃

I'm still keeping things arranged so if she has some difficulty on her arial acrobatics she won't hit anything hard and hurt herself. Better safe than sorry.
LoVey wishes everyone a wonderful day!